


One Without the Other

by xdee13x



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 07:13:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23847250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xdee13x/pseuds/xdee13x
Summary: The siege on the palace has begun and Petra is prepared to lay down her life for the Emperor. She is ruthless and cunning, her orders are to leave no one alive.. but for the first time in this war, the Brigid warrior hesitates rather than striking first.Dorothea and Petra reunite after a hard battle between the Alliance and the Empire.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Petra Macneary, Edelgard von Hresvelg/Petra Macneary
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> When you recruit one without the other. Based on rainefall_days angsty Doropetra art. https://twitter.com/rainefall_days/status/1241841228754423811?s=20
> 
> Any text written "(like this in italics)" is Petra speaking her native language.

The charge on the palace came as no surprise, it was inevitable that eventually the Professor would arrive with an army at her back. Today was that day, and while the rest of the guards scrambled for their armor and weapons, Petra finds herself drifting toward the doors into the courtyard. It’s silent. Completely silent. But she knows that they are out there.

Eyes narrow into slits and she takes a deep breath, steeling her heart before turning to walk back into the palace towards the throne room. This is what she’d been training for all these years, this was how she would win back her people’s freedom, and no one, not the Professor or her former classmates, would be stopping her from this goal. 

“Lady Edelgard.” Her voice booms as she enters the room, doors swinging shut behind as she approaches the war table. She takes to one knee, as she often did in the other’s presence, before speaking again, “The Professor’s armies are approaching.”

“Thank you, Petra.” The Empress gives the other generals in the room a nod, “Everyone to your posts. Today we will see victory, today we will free this world.” They all bow before hastily leaving the room, it takes a few moments for the clamoring of armor to die down, but eventually only Hubert, Edelgard, and Petra are left. 

The Princess stands to her feet and Hubert is the first to turn and speak. 

“I will be taking my place as directed. If everything goes as planned, we will be earning a grand victory for the Empire today.” He bows as well before he turns to stop beside Petra, the flash of something metallic flashes in his palm, “Guard this key with your life, Petra. We will be tackling the army head on beyond the walls. We have intercepted word of a ‘sneak attack’ and we are counting on you to cover the courtyard… assuming the Professor and her little band make it that far.” 

“I am understanding.” A quick nod of her head as she takes the key and holds it tight in her hand, she watches as Hubert takes his leave, her mind suddenly trying to sift through a million thoughts. 

Those thoughts are interrupted though when the Emperor steps closer to her. 

“Is there something on your mind, Petra?” 

“We are not having much time..” She says in a soft whisper, her eyes still focused on the door as it shuts with a thud. When it is fully closed she turns to meet Edelgard’s concerned gaze. 

“I believe we are on our path to victory.” She reaches out to take Petra’s hand, a small smile graces her lips, “I will never be able to convey just how.. grateful I am that you chose to remain by my side. When this is over, we will still have work to do in uniting everyone, but we will be closer to equality.” 

The Princess’s eyes cast downward at their connected hands before rising to examine her face. Their friendship had blossomed in their years fighting together, unspoken, neither of them ever crossing that line. No time to dwell on passing glances, no means of dissecting whether this was simply loyalty or something more, there was no place for _whatever this was_ in war. Today’s battle would be the decisive matter, it would turn the tide of the war. 

It was in this moment she decided- if they won today, she would tell her. 

“I will be doing my best for the Empire.. for you, Lady Edelgard.” 

Petra brought her gloved hand up to her lips, a single kiss being placed on her knuckle before she lets her go. Turning quickly, she doesn’t bother to look back as the strides out of the throne room. When the doors close behind her she takes the key and locks it. The key goes straight into the bag strapped at her hip afterwards, it would be safe there. 

“ _(A warrior is always prepared, she is never afraid.)_ ” She murmurs to herself, a silent prayer in her native tongue seems to dance along her lips, as she strides through the halls. Her hand moves to the hilt of her sword, pulling it from it’s sheath, twisting it in her hands before inspecting it. 

“ _(Each duel is a gift, each battle brings me strength. I fight for my allies. I honor the dead, my enemies, and those I send mercifully to their deaths. Spirits give me strength, assist me to victory..)”_ She sheaths her weapon once she’s satisfied with her inspection and she tightens the leather straps holding her quiver, arrows, and bow to her back. 

_“(..and if it is my fate to die here today, guide me to my place in the stars.)”_

She steps out into the courtyard, her squadron already in position and awaiting orders. She takes her place at the front, an icy glare upon her expression. 

“Take your positions. If the enemy enters here, your orders are to be attacking any enemies and protect the palace. We will be leaving none alive this time.. until then, we are on guard.”Her speech is met with varying responses, each man and woman ready to lay their lives down for the Empire, still Petra remains on alert, the sounds battle, of metal clanging, hooves stomping, and wyverns roaring, in the near distance. 

There is a crash against walls, the ground around them rumbling and shaking beneath it. Then two portions of the walls come down and there is a flurry of dust, stone, and debris falling around them. Petra’s eyes scan the area through the fog, and she directs half of her men towards the opposite side of the courtyard where soldiers had begun pouring in. 

She takes off running in the direction of the breach nearest her, sword drawn and plunging deep into the first soldier unfortunately enough to run into her. All around her the fighting erupts and Petra is effortlessly cutting down soldier after soldier in an attempt to push them back where they had emerged. It seems they are easily able to mow through the first wave but soon it becomes apparent that they were being toyed with in an attempt to wear them down and it was working. 

“Push them back!” The General roars, her chest heaving for breath, blood stains her skin, her clothes, her hair, she’s not sure if any of it is hers but, still, she continues to press on. The sword dances in her hands, glimmering in the light and slicing through opponent after opponent until finally she runs through the opening in the wall. If she could find their leader, she could end this now. A few of her own allies follow soon after and the fighting continues outside of the walls. 

The next few moments seem to happen in slow motion. Her concentration being drawn to the group of enemies in front of her, she hardly has time to react before a loud crashing sound explodes in her ears. Theres a pressure around her, an excruciating heat that stifles her breath..

She knows this feeling..

Jumping away at the last second, the wind from the blast hits her square in the chest, rocks and metal fly past her, leaving gashes in her skin. She looks just in time to see her allies fall to the ground limp, bodies burned beyond recognition and her eyes grow wide as she attempts to catch her breath. There is a static permeating the ground around her, the air suddenly feeling heavy, she can hear the uttering of an incantation approaching her. She knows these spells, this feeling, that voice..

Realization hits her and slowly, Petra turns her head only to be met head on with an emerald stare. Their gaze is cautious, focused, entirely void of anger, yet there’s the slightest glimmer of hesitation in her expression, they are both frozen yet ready to strike at any moment. 

For the first time in this war, the Brigid warrior hesitates rather than striking first. 

“…Dorothea?”

Before anything else can happen the sparks are flying around her, they surge through her eliciting a deafening howl from her lungs. She can’t move, she can hardly breathe, and when it’s over and the pain is gone everything goes black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be Doropetra I swear, i just gave myself Petragard angsty feelings while writing and rolled with it. have a couple chapters planned, hopefully i don't forget lol. I will update tags as more happens and we see more characters. Thanks for reading! (:


	2. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Petra wakes up dazed and confused back in Dorothea's tent. The two of them have a not so happy reunion.

Anger. Pure rage boils within her, bubbling up to the surface just as she returns to her room and slams the door behind her. She wants to scream, but doesn’t, instead she hurls her satchel across the room, breaking one of the shelves against the wall and bringing a few glass bottles crashing down against the ground. The contents of the bottle spill out onto the ground, mixing with the shattered glass. 

She hated it here. _Hated it._

Why did she have to come here to Garreg Mach? To this horrible place..? There was nothing for her here, the people of Fódlan were so ignorant and uncultured, she hated them. Didn’t these entitled nobles have _anything_ better to do than make fun of her..? To treat her as a wild animal? To speak ill of her family and home? She was sick of it, sick of everything.

She just wanted to go **home**.

A sob forces it’s way from her chest and she curls into herself, wishing to be anywhere but here. As she hugs herself she flinches suddenly, there is a dark bruise on her forearm that catches her attention and she grumbles a curse in her native tongue. Somehow the shame she felt far outweighed any actual physical pain..

“Petra?”

A voice snaps her out of the darkness, one moment she was seeing red and the next, her mess of a room.. suddenly she’s increasingly aware of the hot tears streaming down her face. 

“I heard something crash, are you okay in there..?”

Dorothea. It was Dorothea’s voice.

“I’m coming in.”

There’s no time to object, no time to answer when her door slowly swings open. The Princess turns around to meet Dorothea’s eyes and she hurriedly brings her arm up to hide the tears, quickly wiping them away from her cheeks. They are immediately replaced with more tears and she turns away from her friend in embarrassment. 

“Oh.. Petra, dear..” The sigh that escapes the songstress’s lungs was long and drawn out, she quickly and quietly steps into the room and then closes the door gently behind her. She knows this feeling all too well and she hopes that she can be of some comfort to her. Dorothea's hand comes to rest on the warrior’s elbow, gently guiding her to the edge of the bed.

“Here, sit, I’ll get you some water.” And she doesn’t move, not until Petra complies, which she does once her brain registers what is going on.

She sniffles a little once she’s seated, her lungs gasping for air in the moment as she wipes her eyes once more. Carefully, she watches Dorothea disappear and then reappear with a cup in hand. She sits beside the Princess and offers the water, a small smile on her lips as she takes a few small sips. The water helps, she can feel her breathing relax a little bit. Neither of them speak, Petra cries a little more until there are no more tears left, Dorothea just sits there, letting her. It’s nice.. her presence is comforting actually.

About 15 minutes pass and finally Petra’s breathing has calmed. That’s when Dorothea finally speaks.

“I saw what happened..” she mumbled, almost reluctantly even, her hands balled up to tight fists in her lap, “I saw what they did to you, heard everything they said..”

Oh... She had not even noticed the older girl standing there. 

“Dorothea, it is not mattering.. it is being okay—“

“No, Petra, no, it’s _not_ okay!”

The outburst catches her by surprise and she turns to meet the other’s gaze once more. Those eyes, always so kind, always so bright , were filled with sadness, with anger, and with something else she’s surprised to see.. **Hatred**.

“What right do they have? Teasing you? Ripping your bag? Pushing you? Grabbing you the way they did? And the _names_ they called you..” Angry tears gather at the corner’s of her eyes, threatening to spill at any moment. She felt even more ashamed that she didn't step in right away, that she was so distracted doing.. whatever it was she was doing. That clearly wasn't important right now, being a good friend was. “Petra, you just stood there and took it, why didn’t you say something..? They grabbed you, and you didn’t even fight back—“

“If I am fighting back then I am being the savage they think I am.” Petra interrupts, then immediately falls silent. Both of their gazes fall toward the ground, staring at something far away..

“It’s still not right. You don’t _deserve_.. any of that. I know what it’s like to have people like that treat you a certain way, bully you to your face and spread rumors behind your back. If you just let them, they won’t stop, they'll keep pushing and pushing until you hate yourself." she pauses for breath, but also because it struck a little close to home, "Please, don’t let them treat you that way.”

They both turn to look at one another and Dorothea reaches out to put a hand on Petra’s. It’s silent for a moment until Dorothea speaks again, this time an attempt to lighten the mood, “Anyway, don’t worry.. I taught those bullies a lesson they won’t be forgetting any time soon.”

“What?” Petra couldn’t help the soft chuckle that escapes her lips, “What did you do..?”

The laugh that spills from Dorothea's lips makes the Princess’s heart flutter.

“I think those jerks were pretty SHOCKED to see the new spell I just learned.. if they have any brains at all, they won’t be bothering you again any time soon. Or ever again, really..” she gives Petra’s hand a squeeze, confidence leaking back into her features, “We have to look out for one another, yeah? I’ve got your back and you’ve got mine..?”

Got your back..? Oh. OH.

Petra laughs a bit as well, she to understand what she means, and she gives Dorothea’s hand a squeeze in return.

“Yes of course.. I will be having your back.” The smile that spreads across her face is real, it’s warm and genuine., any anger she had before seemed to completely disappear.

Maybe this place wasn’t so bad..?

\----

She wakes up to the sound of voices, one is loud but not quite angry, frustrated maybe but unable to suppress emotion.. the other, Dorothea’s. How, Petra wondered, had her voice remained the same- so calm, so kind, so caring after all this time? It sounded just the same as she remembered, as she’d dreamt, why was she suddenly remembering that day..?

“Dorothea, we lost hundreds of men out there, a good number of them by Petra and her battalion alone..”

“I know.. I just..”

“What if she had hurt you? What if she _hurts_ you now?”

“Petra _won’t_ hurt me.”

If there’s any doubt or hesitation in her at all it’s completely undetectable.. Dorothea was always good at catering to her audience.

A third voice suddenly chimes in. The Professor..?

“Claude, I think she’ll be okay. Dorothea knows what she can and can’t handle. Besides.. she may have just won this war for us. We aren’t the only ones happy for her to be alive, Brigid will be grateful that their beloved Princess was spared.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Well, if anything happens let us know right away. Or if you need help—“

“I know, Claude, I will, thank you.”

There are footsteps as someone walks away. Petra tries to move but her body feels like lead, but after a moment she manages to sit up in the cot that she's laying it, but... ouch, she was probably going to hurt for a while. Why did her legs feel numb? She was also having some trouble moving her fingers.. 

“He’s has a lot to be worried about. Please don’t take his words the wrong way.”

“I know, Professor. We are all tired, today has been.. horrible.. probably the longest day of my life.”

“Yes. I can agree with you there..” there’s a pause, silence as the Professor seems to choose their words carefully, “Are you sure you are okay..?”

“No.” Dorothea’s voice finally falters, she takes a shaky breath. Was she crying..? “It’s just I can't stop thinking of them.. Hubie.. and Edie.. I can’t believe they’re gone—“

“..I know, I’m sorry, Dorothea.”

There’s sobbing from both of them it seems, but Petra’s mind is already elsewhere. A deep ache, a stinging pain hits her directly in the chest and she felt like her rib age was being crushed, her hand comes up to cover her face. There were already tears there long before the realization of what happened hits her. Somehow she made it. She survived.. but the others didn’t.

This was all her fault! She could have stopped this! She could have turned the tide of battle.. she could have saved them.

Time seemed to slow to a standstill, she didn’t bother to hear whatever was left of the conversation, the tears continued down her face, her body shrieked with pain, her mind and her heart even more so.

“Oh, good, you’re up..”

It seemed Dorothea had slipped into the tent without her noticing. She paused at the entrance a moment, a long, exasperated sigh leaving her lungs as if she was preparing herself. When she steps forward she notices Petra’s face and a lump forms in her throat.

“I’ll get us some water..” she mutters mostly to herself as she scurries away toward her makeshift table. She pours two small cups and brings one back to Petra before sitting on the ground a few feet away.

They sit in silence, sipping from their cups, until finally Petra speaks, “So I am your prisoner now?”

“No, it’s not like that at all..” Dorothea quickly shook her head, her brow furrowing as she meets the Princess’s gaze.

“Why did you bring me here?”

Why didn’t you kill me? Is what she wanted to say.

Her eyes still focused on the cup in her hands before rising to challenge the mage’s gaze, the next time Petra speaks it’s just a bit louder, “Would it not have been easier just to be killing me? Like the others?”

“No! Don't say that! I couldn’t stand the thought of losing someone else, I—“

“They’re all gone now— my friends.. Lady Edelgard—“ the Princess's voice catches in her throat.

“Petra, they were my friends too—“

“Friends?” She scoffed, shaking her head with a pained laugh, “You _left_ us.”

There’s a venom in her words that silenced anything that Dorothea might have been thinking of saying. Because it was true.. she did leave them. She was so afraid of war and what would happen, so afraid of seeing the people she cared for fight day after day, afraid to lose some of those people.. she ran because she thought she could escape the fighting. But fate had never been kind to her in her life.. 

Leaving was something she regretted every day since.

“I know.. I know I did.” Dorothea swallows thickly, her gaze falling to her lap, her heart pounds in her chest and she so desperately looks back to her, “I’m _sorry_ , Petra, I didn’t—“

“I am not wishing to be speaking with you anymore.” Petra cuts her off, setting her cup on the ground before she looks away, “I’m tired..”

Her chest feels like she's just been rammed by a horse, but she nods her head quickly. She doesn't want to push her any farther away than she already was..

“Alright then. Get some rest..” Dorothea mutters softly, before she can stand, Petra is already laying on her side facing away from her. For a moment, she isn’t sure what to do. But with everything that happened today she knows she doesn’t want to be alone.. but Petra doesn’t want her here either. She could always just return in the morning once they both had some time to rest.

Quietly she makes her way out of the tent and over to the next one beside her own, hoping that Hilda was still awake. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me forever but I'm here now!


End file.
